Hordes of Mosquitoes Left in Harvey’s Wake

Editor’s Note: The following article appeared on Mike Merchant’s blog, “Insects in the City,” which can be found at http://insectsinthecity.blogspot.com. The blog offers readers news and commentary about the urban pest management industry and is excerpted here with permission of the author.

Hurricane Harvey continues to leave its mark on Texas. Besides the giant cleanup, hordes of mosquitoes are now descending in many areas. Several pictures are making the rounds on social media, including here and here.

The mosquitoes in those picture are probably in the genus Psorophora, (sore ROFF oh ruh) one of our largest, most painful and aggressive biters. Psorophora mosquitoes have some impressive chops when it comes to survival. One of the so-called floodwater mosquito species, they lay their eggs on land rather than water like most mosquitoes. But not just on any land–eggs are laid at the edges of receding floodwaters, where they will re-hydrate and hatch during the next large rain event.

Because Psorophora are opportunists, taking advantage of brief rainstorms, they must have a quick lifespan. The larvae of floodwater species like Psorophora are the speediest growers of all mosquitoes. They need as little as 3 to 3.5 days of standing water to pass through the four molts common to mosquitoes. The pupal stage has even adapted to survive and complete its development on the mud surface of drying puddles.

What we see in these pictures is evidence that floodwater mosquitoes had already primed the pump when Harvey hit the upper Gulf coast two weeks ago. When the rains came, previously laid eggs hatched across thousands of square miles of coastal prairie and marsh, and billions of Psorophora larvae raced through a quick childhood.

Add to this the scope of the disaster. Harvey’s unprecedented rainfall impacted over 400 miles of Gulf shoreline, dumping an estimated 27 trillion gallons of water. The city of Houston doubled it’s previous all time monthly rainfall record with 39.11 inches (and Houston gets lots of rain). With some 400 miles of Gulf coast prairies producing mosquitoes, I suspect the number of mosquitoes flying around the state right now is also unprecedented.

So don’t be surprised to read and hear lots of mosquito stories over the next couple of weeks. If you have to be out and about in this part of Texas, there is protection you can carry. For extreme conditions a mosquito head net will be necessary. Wear light colored, tight knit, long-sleeved fabrics. T-shirts or short-sleeved shirts will not be enough. Permethrin-impregnated shirts and pants may be worth their weight in gold. And don’t forget to bring DEET repellent. Lots of it.

U.S. Air Force Spraying for Mosquitoes in Post-Harvey Texas

Officials in Texas are anticipating that receding floodwater from Hurricane Harvey will bring about a new health risk: mosquito-borne illnesses. On Sept. 13, Texas commenced aerial spraying of insecticides with U.S. Air Force C-130 military planes to combat the growing number of mosquitoes populating along the coastal regions of the state, according to Reuters.

The state requested the Air Force to spray some 6 million acres with insecticides, according to another report from Quartz, which also notes that so far three counties have been treated. According to Reuters, Harris County reported dense mosquito populations, and has also dispatched vector control trucks every night since September 4. Dr. Mustapha Debboun, director of the Mosquito and Vector Control division of Harris County Public Health, told Reuters typically trucks are sent only to areas with disease-carrying mosquito populations.

Texas officials claim most mosquitoes that turn up in the area won’t be the kind that carry diseases, and that the point of spraying is largely to protect cleanup crews from the discomfort caused by bug bites. However, the growing number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—vectors for viruses such as West Nile and Zika—are problematic for the state.

N.C. Association Awards 2017 Educational Scholarships

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Education Foundation of the North Carolina Pest Management Association (NCPMA) recently awarded five Past President’s Scholarships to students pursuing post-high school degrees.

“NCPMA congratulates these students on their accomplishments, and we are happy to be a part of their educational journey,” said Donnie Shelton, NCPMA President. “We are proud to offer the Past President’s Scholarship yearly to help our members and their families reach their educational goals.”

The Past President’s Scholarship by the Education Foundation of the NCPMA was created in 2004 to help encourage and build the next generation of pest management professionals. Scholarships are awarded to owners or employees of NCPMA member companies and/or their family members including spouses, children and grandchildren. Preference is given to those who demonstrate an interest in pursuing careers in the pest management industry.

UF Researcher Offers Tips on Controlling Mosquitoes After Hurricane

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Hurricane Irma left a lot of standing water in the yards and homes of Florida residents. So, a University of Florida researcher suggests steps for making sure your home doesn’t become a haven for mosquitoes.
Some mosquito species can lay up to 200 eggs at a time, so it’s critical to empty cups, birdbaths, pots or anything else on your property that has standing water, said UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences entomology professor Phil Kaufman.

“No container is too small to empty,” Kaufman said. In addition to getting rid of standing water, he recommends residents use mosquito briquettes to kill immature mosquitoes. The mosquito briquettes are available at many stores.
When going outside to empty containers or do yard cleanup, Kaufman urged residents to wear insect repellant (preferably with DEET) and light-colored clothing.

Containers are a haven for certain types of mosquitoes to lay eggs, particularly after heavy rains, he said. Mosquitoes that lay eggs in containers include Aedes aegypti – the Yellow Fever mosquito – and Aedes albopictus – the Asian tiger mosquito.
Both species can transmit Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses, which can cause fever and headaches, among other symptoms, Kaufman said. But an increase in mosquito population is only one factor in whether mosquito-borne diseases would be transmitted to humans or animals, he said. Other factors include the abundance of other animals or organisms that carry the disease-causing pathogen, Kaufman said.
“Every disease is going to be different,” he said. “So you can’t say that just because we had a hurricane, we’re going to see more disease.”

After these rains, mosquito populations will be high for a few weeks, if not a month, Kaufman said. So, it’s very important to contact your local mosquito control officials to tell them if you have concerns over an infestation in your yard or neighborhood, he said.
The bigger problem for mosquito control in general might be flooded areas, Kaufman said. Mosquito populations – such as those of the Gallinipper -- will increase more where standing water occurs, he said. Although about six times the size of regular mosquitoes, Gallinippers are largely nuisance mosquitoes, rather than disease-transmitting species he said.

J.T. Eaton Celebrates 85th Birthday

TWINSBURG, Ohio — Be sure to visit NPMA PestWorld booth #808 to partake in J.T. Eaton’s 85th birthday festivities. There will be a wind tunnel money machine where attendees can fight the wind to collect vouchers for free prizes.

“We have been working hard to make the booth a place to celebrate this year,” said Nicole Zickefoose, administrative sales manager at J.T. Eaton. “We think attendees will be happy they stopped at the booth to join in the fun.” The family-owned and -operated pest control manufacturer also is celebrating the addition of new Super Strongbox and Rodent Rock 2G bait stations along with new Jawz Depot covers for the Jawz rat and mouse traps.

“The last year has been one of innovation for J.T. Eaton,” said Dale Baker, vice president of sales at J.T. Eaton. “We have rolled out some exciting new products that will be at PestWorld for show and tell.”